Year 5 Autumn Term 2
In English, we will continue to study the picture book Fox by Margaret Wild. As part of their learning, Year 5 pupils will explore a range of issues and dilemmas expressed in the story and this will give the children the opportunity to reflect on the themes of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, loss and hope. Using this text, the children will be given the opportunity to explore, interpret and respond to a picture book; study the language and writing style of an author; explore ways in which illustrations can deepen and enrich the meaning of a text and develop their use of inference by exploring the actions, choices and motivations of characters.
Before Christmas, we will begin a unit of work using the book ‘There’s A Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom,’ by Louis Sachar. The children will consider, through reading and writing, their perceptions of difference, behaviour and actions to respond to the everyday issues that this book portrays.
In Maths, we will be completing our first Multiplication unit, pupils will be taught how to identify multiples, Factors, Common factors, Prime numbers, Square numbers and Cube numbers. We will then develop our knowledge of multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000. We will then complete our first fractions unit; children will begin this unit revising their knowledge of equivalent fractions before learning about unit and non-unit fractions; and families of equivalent fractions. Pupils will be taught how to convert between improper fractions and mixed numbers.
In Science, the children will learn how night and day occur, explain how the planets orbit the sun and be able to name the planets in our solar system. They will learn about the differing ideas of planetary movement and explain them using evidence. They will learn about our moon and be able to explain that the moon orbits the Earth and not the Sun and discuss how they each move relative to each other. We will also take part in a live STEM day ‘Protecting our Planet Earth’. The children will also have the opportunity to Work Scientifically within this unit, having the opportunity to plan an enquiry, observe changes, record their results and present their findings.
In RE, Year 5 will be completing their study of Hinduism and will be investigating ‘What can we learn from some aspects of the Hindu religion?’ This unit will introduce pupils to some of the key concepts of Hinduism. We will study the Hindu belief in a Supreme Being (God) and how this belief is conveyed through practices and worship; make links between Hindu festivals and those of their own religious or family celebrations. We will then consider Hindu practices and festivals in India and in the UK, identifying how they are similar and different. In addition, they will also be visiting a Mandir. There they will learn about how Hindus worship in the Mandir, find out about some of the deities and what is important to Hindus.
We will them move onto the unit ‘Whose world is it?’ where children will reflect on their responsibilities to the Earth before investigating the ‘Creation Story’.
In History, we will be travelling back to the times of the Tudors! We will learn about Henry VIII, his wives and children. We will use different artefacts and sources to learn about the lives of people in the Tudor times as well as their houses. The children will also learn about Burghley House, one of the greatest Elizabethan houses in the country.
In DT, the children will be learning about ‘Moving Mechanisms’. Children will investigate different mechanical, pneumatic systems before designing and making a prototype for a pneumatic product.
In Computing, Year 5 will be using Scratch to create a music program. The children will have the opportunity to tinker before developing their knowledge to plan and create their own program for a musical soundtrack.
In Music, we will be studying a unit based on South and West Africa. Children will learn ‘Shosholoza’, a traditional South African song, play the accompanying chords using tuned percussion and learn to play the djembe. They will also learn a traditional West African drum and add some dance moves ready to perform the song in its entirety
In PSHE, we will be studying the unit ‘Celebrating Difference’. Over this unit of work, children will develop their understanding of differences between cultures; the term racism; how rumour-spreading and name-calling can be bullying behaviours; the difference between direct and indirect types of bullying; compare their life with people in the developing world and begin to understand a different culture from their own.
In French, we will continue to develop the children’s reading, listening, speaking and writing skills. We will continue our work where we talk about family members. After this, we will begin a unit of work on Shopping, where children will review their knowledge on numbers and will learn to ask for and buy food items. We will be using Kapow French for our learning in class this year although all children are able to practise their learning at home using the online resource Linguascope.